Stelmach will not seek re-election

Alberta premier calling it quits after 25 years in politics

Premier Ed Stelmach and his wife Marie at a news conference on Jan. 25 at the Alberta Legislature where Stelmach announced he we would not run in the next election.

Photograph by: Candace Elliott
, edmontonjournal.com

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach’s surprise announcement that he will not run in the next election stunned Tory caucus members, who have been sharply divided in recent weeks over the state of the provincial budget, sources inside government said Tuesday.

The announcement came at a hastily called news conference Tuesday morning, hours before a Treasury Board meeting and one day before back-to-back caucus meetings at which the ruling Tories are expected to hash out the upcoming budget.

“After 25 years of public service I am not prepared to serve another full term as premier,” Stelmach said, his wife Marie by his side.

“Therefore I have decided to announce today that I will not be running as a candidate in the next general election.”

Sources close to the government said Stelmach’s departure was triggered by a deep split in caucus over the direction of the budget.

On one side was Stelmach, who announced in December the Tory government would not keep its promise to balance the books by 2012-12, largely because provincial revenues have stayed flat in the wake of the international economic crisis.

On the other side was Finance Minister Ted Morton, a fiscal hawk who wanted to balance the budget at all costs, sources said.

After announcing he will submit his resignation letter “at a further date,” Stelmach immediately set his political sights on the caucus budget discussions scheduled to begin Wednesday.

“We will present a budget that shows the way to being balanced ... in 2013 — a year later than we had hoped,” he said.

“It will be a budget that will be received by most as tough, yet responsible,” he said. “But it will not be a budget that guts funding to municipalities, mothballs health projects, halts school (and) road construction at a time when people need work and the prices for construction are good,” he said.

“The budget my government brings in will use the cash we saved during the boom to help us through the bust and position us to keep ahead of the nation.”

Morton did not immediately return calls Tuesday.

Stelmach said there is no doubt his decision came as a shock to many, and indeed Tory MLAs were stunned.

Edmonton-Castle Downs MLA Thomas Lukaszuk said cabinet members learned of Stelmach’s resignation moments before the public did.

He confirmed that divisions over the budget threatened to splinter the party and said some cabinet and caucus members wanted deep cuts to social programs — cuts the premier was not prepared to make.

“There’s a reason this party is called the Progressive Conservative Party, and not the Conservative Party,” Lukaszuk said.

“We need to balance fiscal responsibility with our obligations to Albertans. I always believe that a balance can be struck between fiscal conservatism and our obligation to provide services for things like education, and the environment.

“You don’t have to leave people out in the cold.”

He said Stelmach chose to step aside rather than see the party split over the issue of how deeply to cut spending.

“He did not want to leave the province, at such a pivotal time, to be jeopardized by instability in government,” Lukaszuk said. “If that meant removing himself and taking the bullet, he did it for the province.”

Edmonton-Glenora MLA Heather Klimchuk said the budget process had been difficult, but that she had confidence the premier would deliver a budget the whole caucus could support.

“The premier will ensure that the budget is palatable and good for Albertans,” she said.

After the news conference, Stelmach flew directly to Calgary for a scheduled Treasury Board meeting.

Stelmach loyalists walked into that meeting looking as though they were entering a wake.

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